Recruitment as a Metropolitan Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) is a long and challenging process designed to test you at each stage, and ensure that the Met Police is able to employ the right people. This article will go through each stage of the Metropolitan Police selection process.

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Metropolitan Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) work with London’s communities. They build bridges with the public, they are a reassuring presence, they deter crime, and make a visible difference to the lives of people across London. And as such, they need to be equipped with certain skills. The recruitment process is designed to tease out those skills from applicants.

Ability to speak clearly and concisely, remain approachable and positive in difficult situations.

Consideration and respect for diversity - the opinions, circumstances and feelings of others.

Metropolitan Police Application Form

The first stage of an application to become a PCSO is to submit an application pack. You can only apply to be a PCSO when the recruitment window is open. At this stage, you will be assessed against the eligibility criteria for PCSOs, including age, nationality, residency, qualifications, and character.

Metropolitan Police Selection Centre

The day 1 assessment for PCSOs is at Hendon Selection Centre. If you are successful at day 1, you will be invited back for day 2, which will involve a job related fitness test and a medical check.

The selection day follows the national college of policing process for PCSOs, and involves the following exercises:

Metropolitan Police Interview

The Met Police PCSO interview is a competency based interview. This means that you will be asked questions designed to make you show how you meet the competencies the Met Police are looking for in their PCSOs. Prepare for this interview by writing examples of your previous experience where you can demonstrate these competencies. Organise your answers using the STAR method. Research the role of PCSOs in the Met Police, including some recent initiatives PCSOs have taken part in. The best preparation for an interview however is with a mock interview where you practice giving over answers to all these questions. JobTestPrep’s Skype based interviews can give you this preparation.

Metropolitan Police Interview Questions

The interview will assess you against the following competencies. You will be asked one question against four of these competencies, with five minutes allocated to answer each question.

Serving the public

Openness to change

Service delivery

Professionalism

Decision making

Working with others

In Summary

If you are successful at day one of the selection centre, you will then be invited back to day two. However expect a delay between day one and day two, as on average the recruitment process for PCSOs takes six months to complete. Following on from that, you will have a security and references check, and if all are acceptable you will be offered a position as a PCSO. We hope that you have found this article useful, and good luck.